Show ContentsCorner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the name Corner are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name Garnier. 1 Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Old French word "gerner," or "gernier" which means a "storehouse for corn" or "keeper of the granary." 2 3

However, we should point out to the reader that Bardsley disagrees with this latter in his reference: "It has nothing to do with a granary, as suggested by Lower." He claims that the name could have also been originally an occupational name as in "the gardener," which was corrupted to Gardner and later Garner. 1

Early Origins of the Corner family

The surname Corner was first found in Rutland where the first record was found in the original Latin form, Garnerius de Nugent who was listed there 1170-1183. Later Geoffre Gerner was listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1272 and Willam del Gerner was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332. 2

Warner or Garnier (fl. 1106), was an early writer of homilies and a monk of Westminster. He was present at the translation of the relics of St. Withburga, 1106. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has only one listing of the family, Stephen Gemer who was listed as being in Lincolnshire at that time. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Johannes Garner. The Lancashire Wills at Richmond list: Christopher Gardiner, or Garner in 1584; John Gardiner, or Garner, of Aldingham in the same year; and Christopher Garner, of Much Urswicke in 1575. 1

Early History of the Corner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corner research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1280, 1592, 1624, 1645, 1646, 1674, 1690, 1754, 1769, 1789, 1839, 1868 and 1906 are included under the topic Early Corner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corner Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Corner family name include Garner, Garnier, Gerner and others.

Early Notables of the Corner family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Adrian Garner, British sheriff who held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1645 to 1646. Thomas Gardner (c. 1592-1674) was an Overseer of the "old planters" party of the Dorchester Company who landed in 1624 at Cape Ann to form a colony at what is now known as Gloucester. Thomas Gardner (1690-1769) was an English antiquary from Ombersley, Worcestershire who was particularly interested in Dunwich in Suffolk, a town mostly lost to coastal erosion, and published a history in 1754...
Another 91 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Corner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corner Ranking

In the United States, the name Corner is the 10,372nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5


United States Corner migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Corner surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Corner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Hen Corner, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 6
  • Margaret Corner, who landed in Maryland in 1659 6
  • Gilbert Corner, who landed in Maryland in 1659 6
  • Robert Corner, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 6
Corner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Corner, who landed in New York in 1832 6
  • Thomas Allen Corner, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1837 6

Australia Corner migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Corner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Corner, (b. 1795), aged 47, English solider from Durham who was convicted in Pune (Poonah), India for life for desertion from the army, transported aboard the "Flora" in 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • James Corner, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Henry Porcher" in 1838 8
  • Mr. Arthur Corner, Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • John Corner, aged 32, a joiner, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Flora" 10

New Zealand Corner migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Corner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mary Corner, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1864
  • Mr. Jeffrey Corner, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Assaye" arriving in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1874 11
  • Mrs. Catherine Corner, British settler travelling from London, UK with 3 children aboard the ship "Assaye" arriving in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1874 11
  • Mr. James Corner, (b. 1844), aged 30, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 26th July 1874 12
  • Mrs. Jane D. Corner, (b. 1851), aged 23, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 26th July 1874 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Corner (post 1700) +

  • John Corner (1788-1825), English engraver, best known by a publication entitled ‘Portraits of Celebrated Painters.’ 13
  • George Richard Corner (1801-1863), English antiquary, born in the parish of Christ Church, Blackfriars Road, London, the eldest of the six children of Richard Corner, a solicitor in Southwark 13
  • Ms. Diane Louise Corner O.B.E., British recipient of Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to UK/Africa relations and international peace and security 14
  • Peter Corner (b. 1968), Canadian gold medalist curler, member of the team that won the 1993 World Curling Championships
  • Edred John Henry Corner (1906-1996), British botanist awarded the Darwin Medal in 1960
  • Frank Corner CMG, FRSA (b. 1920), Diplomat who served as New Zealand's Ambassador to the U.N. and the U.S. before becoming New Zealand's third Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)
  • Tracey Jane Corner (1971-1988), English Passenger from Sheffield, England, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 15


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/flora
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HENY PORCHER 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838HenryPorcher.htm
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
  10. South Australian Register Monday 9th April 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Flora 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/flora1855.shtml
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
  14. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 31 October 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1
  15. Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html


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